to feel terrified at the idea of 16 yo DD riding a moped to school in London?

[loveyouradvice]

Just that really... she and DH both think its fine.... I'm terrified... image of her getting knocked off on busy West London roads... Can understand why she wants to do it though... 50-60 minute journey by train and will probably be 25-30 mins on a moped....and of course feeling independent!

Definitely not!

YANBU

Not a chance

No. This is where I would draw the line.

No way in hell would I be letting a 16 year old have a moped in London or anywhere else. Google some accident statistics and shove them under his nose op.

YANBU. I would be refusing to contribute in any way to this foolishness and make it very clear how much you disapprove.

Show them the accident statistics for motorcycle couriers. It's sobering reading.

accident statistics and a recent spate of nasty crimes by people on stolen mopeds..no way.

Oh no. I'd be starting a stand up row with dh if he wanted to get round London in a moped. I'm really anti them since I saw someone get knocked off by a bus was on - they were alive but had their leg crushed

What's the statistics for motorbike and cycle crashes in London?

Not a chance I would agree to this. We live in West London - I would think twice about riding a moped (I drive and ride a bike so I know what the roads are like). I certainly wouldn't be comfortable with a 16 year old doing it in rush hour traffic.

Get her to watch a couple of episodes of 24 hours in A&E.

Almost every episode has a motorbike accident!

My boyfriend is picking up a new motorbike today. I feel sick to my stomach.

No way! Outside London, yes; London, no.

YANBU. No way should a 16 year old be riding a moped in London

I think as long as they are safe and ride defensively and are hot on shoulder checks, aware that large vehicles have blind spots and turn wide so stay away from them she will be fine. In a couple of years you won't be able to stop her. Is she sensible? Good on a pushbike?

"Donor-cycles"... no way. Everyone I know who rides a motorbike/moped has been involved in a crash, including my parents (in their yoof) and my uncle, who died in a bike accident.

Laurie, page 533* of this survey gives a sample percentage of accidents in London for bike riders - almost 60% of couriers have had accidents in the past three years (and this is self reported, which obviously leaves out people who are not able to fill out surveys any more as they've died).

Ds and dh have been nagging me about a moped, dh says he loved his, yeah well that was a couple of decades ago on maintained roads in quiet county.

The traffic here is ridiculous, none stop traffic, down too small roads with potholes scattered across the roads.

No Fucking Chance

No.

I had a moped for exactly the same reason. Loved it (except when it was raining). After two years of commuting I had an accident, landed on my head (in a helmet). Went to a&e, got the all clear, no concussion or anything. Just a bruised ego.

20 years later I'm paying the price for it. I have two tiny lesions in my brain caused by an old trauma (can only have been this accident, nothing else has happened to me). I now have epilepsy and will have for the rest of my life.

Please tell your DH and DD my story. It's the only regret I have in my life.

Page 53, sorry - funny formatting happened there!

Oh god, my worst nightmare. I try never to say no to my older teenagers but in this situation I would beg them not to. Thankfully ( in a sense) my dc are aware that I have a horrific personal history with a motorbike accident and so they know better than to ever even think about it.

There is still flowers on a lamppost less than a mile from me from the last moped crash that happened in our area. Young lad. I don't live in a busy city. I wouldn't let my kids.

No chance! I wouldn't do it, and I've been driving for 14 years (including when living in London for five of them). Too much traffic/taxis/lorries/cyclists etc.

How would she fund it? If she can afford to take the lessons/test/equipment/bike/insurance etc then you can't really stop her. But if you're expected to pay for it all then that's that!

I used to ride a moped in London when I was 16 and wasn't knocked off once. I'm 38 now and have ridden motorbikes all my life. I've only been knocked-off once, on a country road (by a police car, oddly enough).

A moped is restricted to 30mph (not much faster than a decent road bike, and she'll be wearing gloves, armoured jacket and a decent helmet. Per mile, it's safer than cycling. It will teach her road awareness, and make her a far better car driver if - and when- she decides to drive.

Obviously there are risks, but I think you're doing her a disservice to patronise her in this way. Would you be the same about cycling? Will you be the same about driving a car?

Moped? 16-year-old? In London??

Not. A. Bloody. Chance.

Not
A
Chance

I've driven all kinds of vehicles, in all kinds of places & I'd think twice about a moped in London...and these days, decide against it.

A 16 yo, no way on this little green earth.

A few minutes longer commute by train simply is NOT enough of a reason to even give this any thought. She has plenty of freedom, she has the run of London transport. It's not like you like out in the sticks & this is the only way to reach civilisation! She can spend the time on the train on social media, I bet she spends longer than that now on it.

Your DH needs his bloody head read saying he thinks it's fine. I'd be livid and it would NOT be happening.

YADNBU!!!!!!